We bring you news of another big-money festive contest from our partner game Yahoo and also give Fantasy managers a heads-up on the FFS Holiday Cup, with Round 2 also getting underway today.
They are offering a Premier League £3.5k Boxing Day contest which takes in all seven matches from 3pm onwards, finishing with the 5.30pm evening between Liverpool and Swansea City at Anfield.
The contest is guaranteed to run, costs £5 to enter and is a multi-entry game, which means you can select up to eight teams. The top 174 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £10, with £350 going to the first place.
Our selected XI below will focus on this contest, which is the biggest payout on offer across the midweek matches.
Driven by Opta data, the Yahoo game has a unique scoring system ideal for members of our community seeking a Daily Fantasy Sports game.
New players can sign up and claim a free £50 in credit to your account when you deposit just £5. Promo code: Fantasy50.
It’s also worth reading over our Strategy Guide before selecting your line-ups, as this gives you a better idea of the Yahoo game and the types of players who tend to benefit.
FFS Strongest XI
David De Gea – £17
Marcos Alonso – £16
Marcos Rojo – £14
Trent Alexander-Arnold – £14
Arthur Masuaku – £13
Eden Hazard – £25
Riyad Mahrez – £19
Aaron Mooy – £18
Gylfi Sigurdsson – £17
Mohamed Salah – £27
Marko Arnautovic – £17
A visit from Burnley affords David De Gea the chance to pick up the Yahoo points at Old Trafford once again. Manchester United have conceded a mere three times in front of their own fans, with the Spaniard claiming seven shutouts in nine home outings. Furthermore, he’s ranked second top keeper for saves this season, with a total of 70. De Gea also benefits from the Yahoo scoring system, with goalkeepers earning double the number of points as defenders for a clean sheet, as well as points for wins or draws.
Marcos Rojo joins his team-mate De Gea in our line-up due to Man United’s fine defensive record at home. After Chris Smalling picked up an injury against Leicester to add to Jose Mourinho’s concerns in defence, the Argentine looks set to return to the teamsheet against the Clarets today. Rojo could prove a canny differential pick as Sean Dyche’s side arrive at Old Trafford having netted just four times in the previous seven Gameweeks
Marcos Alonso looks set to benefit as Chelsea host a Brighton side that has scored twice in the previous seven Gameweeks. Joint-top defender for goals scored (four), he’s the number one backline option for shots (37), efforts in the box (24) and attempts on target (11). The Blues’ raiding wing-back is placed sixth for chances created (18) and is also in the top ten defenders when it comes to successful tackles (37) and crosses (59).
Trent Alexander-Arnold comes in for Liverpool’s home clash with Swansea. We’re expecting Jurgen Klopp to rotate the right-back position and hand the youngster a chance to impress again – over his three home appearances, Alexander-Arnold has supplied eight scoring chances for team-mates and fired four shots on goal. Liverpool – like Man United –have conceded just three home goals and will now entertain a side that’s found the net just five times on their travels.
West Ham’s Arthur Masuaku remains a Yahoo favourite of ours. The Frenchman continues to be deployed in a left wing-back role by David Moyes ahead of a trip to a Bournemouth side that has scored just twice in their last three at home. Over the last four Gameweeks, Masuaku has supplied three clean sheets, is joint-top among team-mates for successful tackles (12) and sits second for crosses (15).
The return of Alvaro Morata from suspension bodes well for Eden Hazard’s prospects at home to Brighton. The Belgian has struggled without Chelsea’s summer signing leading the line of late, managing just a single assist over the last three Gameweeks. Yet looking at their last five matches together on the teamsheet, Hazard produced three goals and a trio of assists. Furthermore, he was ranked second overall for shots on target (nine) and chances created for team-mates (16) across that period.
Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez also claims a spot as he heads to a Watford outfit that have conceded more goals (20) at home than any other side. The Algerian has sparked into life since the arrival of Claude Puel, supplying four goals and three assists in ten matches under the new manager. During that time frame, Mahrez has fired 13 of his 22 efforts on target – only Hazard (18) can better than among Yahoo midfielders.
Aaron Mooy’s style of play is ideal for the Yahoo game. Ranked fourth for the season for successful tackles (56), only six players have bettered the Huddersfield midfielder’s 26 successful crosses. Mooy has found the net four times so far and faces a Stoke defence that has the league’s worst record for goals conceded (40). With more successful passes and chances created (26) than any team-mate, he offers numerous routes to points for Fantasy managers.
Like Mahrez, Gylfi Sigurdsson has also benefitted from a recent change of manager. The Everton midfielder has scored twice in five appearances under Sam Allardyce ahead of a trip to a West Brom outfit that have picked up two points in five since the appointment of Alan Pardew. Only three midfielders have produced more interceptions than Sigurdsson (12) over that period, while 10 successful tackles and five shots on target, allied with his dead-ball duties, highlights his suitability to the Yahoo scoring matrix.
Mohamed Salah is a must-have for the visit of a struggling Swansea defence that’s conceded in each of their last six on the road. Second only to Harry Kane for both shots (41) and efforts on target (20) at home, the Egyptian has been one of the most consistent performers of the season and has supplied points in six of his eight starts at Anfield.
A trip to Bournemouth hands Marko Arnautovic the chance to continue his fine recent performances under David Moyes. Over the last four Gameweeks, the Austrian has scored on all but one occasion, while he sits among the top three for shots (16) and top five for efforts in the box (14). With playmaker Manuel Lanzini back pulling the strings, Arnautovic can profit against a Cherries defence that have failed to keep a clean sheet in the last six.
As Yahoo allows late swaps up until each kick-off, our listed line-up may well be subject to change.
The Midweek Contests
As well as the Premier League £3.5k Boxing Day contest, Yahoo are also offering a Premier League £1k Boxing Day contest, which also covers the same seven matches from 3pm onwards.
This is also guaranteed to run, costs £25 to enter and is a single-entry game. The top 13 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £50, with £200 going to the first place.
There is also a Premier League £1k Wednesday contest, which covers that evening’s match between Newcastle and Man City, in addition to the Thursday night match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
Again, it’s guaranteed to run, costs £5 to enter and is a multi-entry game, so you can pick up to two teams. The top 50 places pay out – there’s a minimum win-back of £10, with £100 going to the first place.
The FFS Holiday Cup
As mentioned earlier in the article, it’s Round 2 of Yahoo’s the inaugural FFS Holiday Cup today.
It’s a free to enter, single-entry contest that spans the next four Gameweeks, with a total of £500 on offer across the contest.
Please be aware that, unlike the Boxing Day contests discussed above, Round 2 of the FFS Holiday Cup kicks off at 12.30pm and will cover all ten matches across Gameweek 20.
The starting times of each remaining round as follows.
Round 2 – Tuesday December 26 at 12.30pm
Round 3 – Saturday December 30 at 3.00pm
Round 4 – Monday January 1 at 12.30pm
Here’s the state of play in the top ten after Round 1:
You can open an account and get involved immediately.
If you register and deposit £5 or more, Yahoo will also give you a £50 bonus to be used as cash to enter paid contests.
Register here to claim the bonus.
You must be over 18 years of age, resident in the UK, and of legal capacity to register with Yahoo Daily Sports and open an Account. If you sign up, please always play responsibly.
